My Thug Got A Rider (11 page)

Ashanti

  “Ti-ti. Wake yo’ ass up. You have been sleep the whole way here, T.O said.” Shauna said as she shook me awake.

“What?” I rubbed my eyes groggily, not remembering a thing. I looked around the room and it was empty. The only thing I recognized was the big duffle bag sitting in the corner. “Where are we?”

“Girl, in Colorado. T.O. said he had to knock you out to put you on the plane. What happened to you?” She was less dressed up than I had ever seen her before, in a long T-shirt that I assumed belonged to Carter. Her hair was wet and hanging down her back.

“I should be asking you the same thing. You look so, relaxed. He must be laying it down real good all the way out here.” She pulled a blunt from behind her ear and lit it.

“Or, it could be this bomb ass, legal weed that’ll we’ll never have in Indy.” Inhaling a few deep hits, Shauna passed the blunt to me. “Speaking of dick, have you ridden his shit until he slobbered yet?” I cracked up. I had missed her silly ass.

“Actually, no. I didn’t.” She got up and walked out the room, and came back with Kenyon.

“What’s up with you? You alright?” He looked at me all serious-like.

“Shauna is being dramatic, I’m fine.” I waved him away with the back of my hand and crawled deeper under the warm down blanket.

“No, she got to be out her damn mind.” Shauna jumped on the bed next to me. “She hasn’t ridden the dick yet? I mean how did y’all spend two days together getting here and not fuck? You always talking about how bad you want her and she forever telling me about what she think it’s like and you mean to tell me, you haven’t dug her guts out? Y’all niggas are killing me.” Carter walked in the cloudy room and snatched the blunt from Shauna’s lips.

“Yo, what’s up with yo’ girl and dick, my nigga? Why is she so concerned with what’s up in my woman?”

I peeked out from under the covers to shoot him a look. Carter choked on the smoke and Shauna’s jaw dropped.

“Wait! Did this nigga just say woman and not bitch? He had to have got some pussy.” Carter busted out laughing. “Well, I don’t know why he don’t want any, but can I get some?” He leaned over and blew smoke into Shauna’s pursed lips. “Whenever you want, however you want and whatever you want.” She said as she jumped up and wrapped her bare legs around his naked waist. Carter passed the blunt to me and just as I was about to hit it, Kenyon slapped it from my hands. The two lovebirds looked at him just like I did.

“Why would you do some dumb shit like that?” He just shook his head and walked out of the room. Shauna and Carter exchanged a look, and went back to their room. His attitude had done a complete 180-degree transformation in the past few days and quite frankly it was working on my nerves.

We stayed in Colorado for at least three weeks before I finally had gotten in contact with Ms. B. “What in the world happened?” I knew she was upset with me but she sounded relieved to hear from me.

“I’m fine. Just on vacation with my boyfriend, Shauna and her boyfriend. Her mom just left this morning, so we should be home in a little while too.” I already knew that she knew, I wasn’t telling the full truth.

“Whatever you say, Miss Thang. You do know that your car went missing and your mail has piled up since you’ve been gone. I also have your cell phone and a few acceptance letters. I already knew you would get into college so these letters are not my concern. My concern is who the nice young man was that knew to bring it here.” I had her on speaker phone. Kenyon looked at me and shook his head “Dammit! We need to get out of here first thing in the morning.” I said my goodbye’s to Ms. B. and got off the phone. I couldn’t understand what he meant but as his rider, or in Shauna’s words, his ride or die, I didn’t question him. I just
ride.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

I felt the bed shaking. Kenyon reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling me closer to him. “Did you hear that?” He jumped up.

BOOM.

The loud noise rang out again. “What the hell was that?” I heard a creak in the hallway and almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the door crack open. “Did y’all hear that?” Shauna peeked her head in. “I can’t find Carter anywhere. Did he say something to you?” Kenyon jumped up and slid on a pair of basketball shorts. Grabbing the duffle bag, he tossed me the Rutger .9mm. I loaded the clip and climbed out of bed. Going to the range to practice in the mountains helped my aim. Not so much with my nerves though. He tossed Shauna the keys to the car.

“Don’t start it, just get in, put the key in the ignition and wait for us.” Kenyon looked at me like a proud father as I gave her the same instruction he had given me in my dream about a month ago. I watched as Shauna ran out of our room and back to her bedroom. “ASHANTI! KENYON!” I heard her scream all the way in our room.

“Stay right here,” Kenyon ordered me.

“No, she called me first.” We exchanged a series of looks before he finally gave in and made me walk ahead of him. I tiptoed to her room with the gun aimed high in the air. “Oh, shit.” I felt the urge to vomit.

Shauna sat there with Carter in her arms, crying. “Please, please, please. God, no.” She cried cradling his head in her lap. Blood poured from his stomach, and mouth.

“T-Ta--”, he tried to speak, but I shushed him.

“We already know.” I looked up at Kenyon who nodded and took the gun from me. He left out of the room to check the other rooms. I bent down and checked Carter’s pulse. “It’s weak so we need to get him to the hospital, now.” Kenyon came back in and shook his head. “Did you see anything?”

“No, the door was broken in but nobody was in here. I smell gas so we need to go, now.” I stood up and touched his shoulder.

“You okay?”  It looked like he was trying to keep from crying. I grabbed the keys and a sheet from the bed. Ripping the sheet and pressing it into his side, Kenyon finally got the bleeding to stop before he picked Carter up and carried him out to the car. I grabbed the duffle bag and Shauna’s hand before we ran through the back door. I smelled the gas as we opened the back door. Once we finally made it to the car, I smelled smoke and turned around just in time to see the cabin burst into flames. I still hadn’t got a chance to tell Kenyon how I knew Tae was up to no good. Now wasn’t the right time either, but I promised myself I’d make time.

“Shauna? Mr. Hardison would like to see you now.” Shauna looked at us confused trying to figure out who the hell they were talking about.

“That’s Carter,” Kenyon and I told her at the same time. She jumped up and ran to room 207. Shauna was a wreck. I knew then that she was in love with that man by the way she was willing to go out in public for him. She didn’t even ask once to get a change of clothes and that was unlike her. Kenyon and I sat in the unusually small waiting room of the ER. The whole place smelled of blood and chemicals. It made my stomach turn flips.

“We shouldn’t be here, Shanti. He knows where we’re at and we got to get the fuck up out of here. Using the ID’s was smart as hell, but we have to find somewhere to go.” How the hell did I let him put me in such a predicament? Was love something that made you do crazy shit and possibly run from death to achieve some fairytale happily ever after? Is that what I was doing? What did Kenyon have over me? I felt in that moment that I was floating and falling at the same time. “Ashanti. Are you okay?” I heard Kenyon calling my name before I fell on the floor and blacked out.

“Ms. Woodson, are you alright?” A nurse dressed in blue scrubs took the cold pack off my forehead when I finally came to. It took me a minute to find out who she was talking to. As of today, I was Ms. Woodson. I felt the IV in my arm. My stomach was turning and I felt like I had to throw up. Kenyon walked over to me and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at me with those big brown eyes. He bit his lip and touched my stomach.

“How you doing, Mama?” My mouth dropped open and he cracked the biggest smile I had ever seen, showing off that dimple.

“No.” I touched my own stomach. I had been feeling sick and extremely exhausted for the past few weeks and it all made sense. I didn’t think about using protection, being a mom in college or being a teenage mom at all for that matter. Now all of the thoughts ran through my head at the same time. I looked at Kenyon and I knew deep down that I loved him, but running from my problems and possibly dying with a baby in my womb was out of the question. Now I was not just riding for this thugged out light skinned nigga with tattoos and a bad reputation; I was riding for him and my child. I don’t think caring for my child meant finding a hiding place and being afraid of getting caught. I had to go back to face my fears and fight for my little family.

“Kenyon, I don’t want to run anymore.” I grabbed his hand and held it, looking him directly in his eyes.

“I know. You can’t run with my baby. I just want you to sit back and ride. Keep my little man safe in there. Can you do that for me? I promise you, when I get somewhere for us to settle down, I’m coming for you. I promise you.” I kissed him right on the lips. I knew this would be the last time I saw him for a long time, but it wasn’t the last time I would ever see him. At least I hoped not.

***

Kenyon

If going back to Indy was what my baby wanted, I was going to make sure she could. In order to do that, I had to see the one person that I knew could make that happen.

“Inmate 45945, you have a visitor.” Kenny Tunde stood at 6’9” looking like a giant version of myself.

“Son,” he nodded, acknowledging me. “What do you need?” I pulled out a picture of Ashanti and showed him my life in one photograph.

“They’re looking for me. You were right. He turned on me, framed me and now they want to kill me. I need you to help her. Not for me but for your grandchild.” I thought I saw a tear appear in the corner of his eyes, but when I looked again it was gone.

“Change her name, cut her hair, and put her in the house that I bought for you.” I didn’t think of it. I vowed to never step foot in the house again after my mother died. Now I had no choice. “And the only way that I can ensure your safety is if you’re in here. Turn yourself in and I will handle the rest. All I need is for you to do is trust me.” I looked him in his eyes and saw that same tear again that dangled but never fell, not even at Mom’s funeral. “If you’re not doing it for me. Do it for your child. The worst pain is missing a milestone in your child’s life. I should know,” his thick Colombian accent slathered on the feelings of regret. I stood up and hugged my pops. He was right after all, I didn’t want to be like him, missing any of my child’s life. As for turning myself in for a crime I didn’t commit, I had to make it sound as good as it did to me, to Ashanti.

***

Ashanti

It had been months since I found out I was having a baby and I was sitting in my doctor’s office waiting on my OBGYN who was late as usual.

“Girl, stop staring at that damn ring.” I nudged Shauna, who was busy staring at her engagement ring from Carter. I knew it wasn’t the ring per se, but the fact that he was alive and well. In six short months, she would be Mrs. Hardwick and I couldn’t be happier for her. I was also happy because I’d get to see Kenyon. I missed him like crazy and only got to talk to him once a month. I couldn’t stunt though; the rock was nice as hell.

“I’m hungry. I wish Dr. NotOnTime would hurry the fuck up so we can go. How is my god daughter doing in there?” She rubbed my belly. The baby did some crazy kick and I had to piss all over again.

“You know Ken would have a fit if he heard you say ‘she’. He keeps saying we’re having a little boy.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Girl, bye. All that moving, she’s a diva, honey. A little cheerleader.” I laughed and almost peed a little. I just wished he or she would get the hell off my bladder.

“Ms. Woodson, Doctor Talani will be seeing you now,” some nurse with a face mask said as she came out with her clipboard.

“Excuse me, my doctor’s name is Melanie Notonto.”

“Oh, Dr. Notonto is out today and she rescheduled all her appointments to be seen by Talani.” I looked over at Shauna, wondering if I should go through with it.

“I don’t see why not. Maybe Dr. Whatever will be finished faster than the other slow-poke.” Something didn’t feel right. There was a twisting in my gut before I went back there, but it soon subsided when I got in the room.

“Here you are, just change into this and the doctor will be here shortly to begin the ultrasound.” I got undressed quickly and changed into the hospital gown. My cell phone went off and I wondered who could be calling.

“Hello?”

“Hey, bae. Did you find out if I need to get a gold chain or a gun?” I cracked up laughing.

“You know you’re dumb as hell, right?” The baby started kicking like crazy in my stomach. “Not yet, but somebody is excited to hear Daddy’s voice.” I could hear him smiling through the phone.

“You mean the baby, or you?” I felt my face get hot.

“Me too.” God, I missed that man. I hadn’t touched him in months, but it felt more like years. The only way for him to stay safe was to turn himself in. Even though I didn’t agree with him turning himself in for Bri’s death, knowing he didn’t do it. I trusted that he knew exactly what he was doing. I was so proud of him and less scared for him in there. Not that the system gave a damn about another black man, but it was more for my peace of mind.